Preparing students for front‐line management: Non‐routine day‐to‐day decisions

Abstract

Purpose

This paper attempts to reduce the gap between management education and practice. It emphasises day‐to‐day decisions that middle and lower level managers make. The purpose is to provide an education framework embodying a flexible approach to interpretation and solution creation, suitable for situations of ambiguity and uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the current state of tuition in management decision making, then provides a model that, when combined with practical exercises, helps trainees explore the type of problems managers confront on a daily basis.

Findings

The model guided students to think beyond problem definition to identify possible causes, and to think beyond the solution to the consequences of the solution. Use of class members as an education resource enabled a large number of interpretations of what might otherwise be considered “common sense”.

Practical implications

Undergraduate students often lack management experience but this paper argues that the use of real‐world examples with in‐built ambiguity can help prepare management trainees for a wide range of interpretations and create a mental “tool‐box” to better facilitate flexibility.

Originality/value

Non‐routine decision making at lower levels of management is an under‐explored academic activity. In an effort to create future leaders, business schools currently instruct on big issues such as strategy and organisational change. This paper argues that management education needs to prepare trainees for the type of problems they will face on a day to basis. To assist with uncertainty and ambiguity, students do not seek the “right answer”, but explore a broad range of interpretations.

Citation

Clydesdale, G. and Tan, J. (2009), "Preparing students for front‐line management: Non‐routine day‐to‐day decisions", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 33 No. 7, pp. 594-613. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590910985372